


Closing the Window

by llenclyen



Category: Peter Pan - J. M. Barrie, Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-06
Updated: 2014-06-06
Packaged: 2018-02-03 16:38:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1751405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/llenclyen/pseuds/llenclyen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in 1953, Wendy is rooming with, among others, Lyra.  She is also starting to date John Watson and this is leading to some new discoveries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Closing the Window

Wendy woke from her nap as the door opened. Lyra was checking in on her.  
“Oh good, you're awake. Dr. Watson is here to see you.”  
“Don't let him.”  
Lyra turned towards the living room and called to John.  
“She's awake doctor, and eager to see you.” She smiled wickedly at Wendy and scooted out of the way as John came in with a hot bowl of soup. Dreadful girl. John looked at her with a mixture of compassion and frustration, the latter of which spiked when he saw that her window was open.  
“Well, that explains why you're sick. Why don't you close the window you daft woman?”  
“Look at who you're calling daft! You're here with a contagious invalid and have a clinic to attend to!”  
“I'm a doctor! I'm always around contagious invalids and I don't sleep with my windows open to invite all kinds of illness!”  
“Well then what do you need me for?! You throw me out of the clinic when we are clearly understaffed and then give my duties to that new girl who's barely been there a month and-”  
“Nurse Darling, the sun will rise whether or not you are there to supervise it, the clinic will move forward with or without you, and for the record the new girl served in another hospital for a year before coming here and is perfectly capable of dealing with things-”  
“So you don't need me then! Well then take the new girl and I'll just go on my way and not be a bother to you anymore!”  
“You frustrating woman! This isn't permanent and you know it! Why are you overreacting to this? I told you to go home and get better so you wouldn't infect the patients! You shouldn't have even come into the clinic this morning!”  
“You're right, I shouldn't, I shouldn't come in at all because I'm worse that useless to you!”  
“Wendy, I said that because you were hurting yourself by being there!”  
“I was not!”  
She raised up on the bed, her puffy, red, watery eyes glaring at John. Her voice and sinuses were stuffy and her nose was draining profusely. The fatigue had subsided for the moment but her body still felt weak and ached. Not that any of that mattered and she was certain that this was all just a reaction to her argument with this beast of a man.  
John took a deep breath and passed her the soup.  
“You must be hungry, eat it.”  
Wendy was famished and the soup turned out to be delicious. Though she was quite certain that Lyra had made it for her.  
“It's my mother's recipe.”  
She glared at John over the bowl of tolerable soup.  
“Wendy, why didn't you close the window?”  
“I can't.”  
“What do you mean 'you can't'? Is it stuck?”  
“No, I just... I can't.”  
He was confused, but then he seemed to shrug it off.  
“Alright then, at least let's get you some more blankets, and I can let you borrow a small heater.”  
“I don't want to be a trouble for you.”  
“The longer you are away from the clinic, the more trouble you cause.”  
“I thought you didn't want me?”  
He locked eyes with her and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
“Wendy Darling, I do not need you at the clinic, especially not when you are ill, that doesn't mean I don't want you.”  
Something changed then. Wendy realized that John Watson wasn't like her boys. He could get on without her, he was strong enough on his own, but he still wanted her by his side. John Watson was a man, a little boy who had grown up and didn't need anyone to take care of him. But he still wanted her. Wendy also realized that she had been carrying on for so long, trying to be there for so many of her boys, some of which she couldn't help, and some who didn't need her help. John was someone who wouldn't lean on her, they could each stand with each other. She started to cry then.  
“You want me back?”  
“Of course, when you are well naturally.”  
“Of course. Doctor Watson, would you please update me on the status of my patients?”  
“Nurse Darling, do you really want to go into that now?”  
“Doctor Watson, why wouldn't I?”  
So he told her. Apparently the new girl was keeping things well in hand and none of her patients had declined since she left the clinic. John did make a point of illustrating that the new girl, and other members of the staff, had mentioned how much they wished her a speedy recovery and how very appreciative they would be to have her back.  
“Now, Nurse Darling, I expect to see you back at the clinic once you have made a swift and full recovery and not before then, are we clear.”  
“Yes, yes of course. Oh, John?”  
“Yes Wendy?”  
She looked at the man standing before her, half way to the door and at that moment made a choice that she had been putting off for years.  
“Would you shut the window please?”  
“Of course.”  
And like that, it was done. The window shut and the moment was past. It was a very ordinary act, and one she could not have done till now.  
John bid her goodbye, and said he would be back in an hour with extra blankets, a heater, and more of that excellent soup.  
After he left and the room grew quiet, Wendy took a deep breath and got out of her bed. John would certainly be cross with her for not staying and resting but this had to be done now or she would never do it.  
She went to the window and steeled herself for the trial ahead of her.  
There was a click, and then it was done.  
She let out a deep breath. A weight had fallen from her and she was not quite sure now who she was without it. All she knew was that she felt relief and that she was no longer the Wendy Darling from the previous day.  
“I'm sorry Peter.”  
As Wendy crawled back under the covers, Peter was on the roof of the building. He had heard the click of the lock just before he would have been able to see inside. The boy who never grew up felt a cold dread creep into his heart.  
He had lost a friend, she had moved on to other adventures.  
“Oh well, she's just a silly girl. I'll soon find another to help with spring cleaning.”  
His dark mood passed as briefly as it had come and he was flying off once again in search of new friends.


End file.
